Question 44·200 Super-Hard SAT Reading Questions·Standard English Conventions
Archaeologist Priya Nair, whose recent study ______ isotope analyses of ceramic fragments, port tax records, and an explicit analysis of gaps in both bodies of evidence offers a more cautious account of trade across the medieval Indian Ocean than earlier models do, argues that no single port consistently dominated the network.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
In sentences with long relative clauses, first identify the clause's subject and locate its finite verb. Ignore intervening lists and modifiers. If the subject already has a finite verb later in the clause, the blank generally needs a nonfinite modifier rather than another complete verb phrase, unless a conjunction joins the verbs.
Hints
Find the main verbs
Separate the sentence's main clause from the relative clause beginning with “whose.” Then locate the verb associated with “study.”
Check for competing predicates
Determine whether each option would create an additional finite verb before “offers” without a conjunction.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the clause structure
The main subject is “Archaeologist Priya Nair,” and its main verb is “argues.” The words beginning with “whose recent study” form a relative clause describing Nair.
Locate the relative clause's predicate
Within the relative clause, “study” is the subject and “offers” is its finite verb. Therefore, the blank cannot supply another finite verb unless the two verbs are joined by a conjunction.
Choose the modifying form
A present participle can introduce a phrase modifying “study” while leaving “offers” as the study's finite verb. The correct answer is incorporating.